The Spy of Wizard Tower
by HunterofArtemis78969
Summary: Septimus recruits a mysterious girl to follow a growing threat to the Castle and Wizard Tower. Lots of humor and fun with Magyk. Possible violence.
1. Chapter 1

This takes place somewhere between **Syren **and** Darke**. I know it sounds weird, but trust me, you are not minus one chapter. Author out.

* * *

"So you'll do it?" Septimus asked anxiously.

"Of course." A smile played across the girl's lips. "It sounds very... interesting."

Septimus wanted to be sure. "Are you sure?"

The girl nodded. "Merrin Meredith, huh? Sounds _fun_."

* * *

Merrin Meredith, as it happened, was strolling away from Ma Custard's, chewing through his daily crate of candy. He looked around suspiciously. Ma Custard was starting to get mad at him for paying on credit every day for three weeks straight.

Suddenly he was tapped lightly on the shoulder. He spun around, choking on a particularly sticky licorice snake. The girl who had tapped him waited patiently while he hacked up the remains of his precious snack.

When he finally looked up somewhat tiredly, the girl fixed a piercing stare at him, making him look away uncomfortably. "Excuse me," she said loudly and clearly. "Do you know someone named... Merrin Meredith?"

Merrin paled. "Uh..." He faltered, staring at the ground. "N- no, I'm just Daniel Hunter."

"No, you aren't." She took a step towards Merrin, who was starting to panic. The girl wasn't much older than him, but she had a good few inches of height on him.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Merrin yelled, and ran for it.

About thirty seconds later (Merrin made sure to count), Merrin looked behind him, and saw no trace of the girl. Relieved, he shuffled over to the nearest store and slid down the wall.

"Hey."

"Argh!" Merrin made a rather un-manly noise and jumped about a foot in the air. The girl found it rather impressive. She believed that fear brought out a boy's true character... so this "Merrin" was going to be fun to watch.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Her voice cut through Merrin's panicked, confused thoughts like a blade through where he wore the Two-Faced Ring, his left thumb. _No, don't think that way, Merrin. _

Meanwhile, the girl was grabbing the back of Merrin's collar and twisting it around in her hand. "All right, let's go," she said, as casually as if they were best friends going to Wizard Sandwiches. She began dragging him down the street. Merrin, who had just recovered from the licorice snake attack, found his windpipe being smashed into his spine. He was having a very bad day. But then, how was that that any different from any other day he had?

The girl glanced back at Merrin, pity in her eyes. She knew that the next few days would be particularly miserable for him._ Septimus Heap was pretty ruthless,_ she thought_, to ask her to take care of this pathetic little boy._


	2. Chapter 2

"So," said the girl, fixing her gaze at the sky, which made Merrin look up, too. She grinned crookedly. "Sounds like you've been getting into plenty of trouble recently, huh?"

"You don't know half of it," Merrin muttered, running out of energy to fight (and air in his lungs) and letting himself be dragged limply.

She stopped and pulled Merrin painfully until he was facing forwards next to her. "I believe that I do," she said quietly, studying him.

Merrin gulped, wincing at the sharp pain in his throat, and started walking, gasping slightly. Nervously he glanced sideways at the girl. He didn't dare run off; she was starting to really scare him.

"Talk."

_So straightforward_, Merrin thought bitterly. "Why should I tell _you_ anything?"

She looked at him. "Do you really want to be asking that question?"

He talked, and somehow, he knew exactly what she wanted to hear. "Look here," he said, unable to resist the opportunity to brag. Merrin waved his left thumb in the girl's face, but unlike the other people he had showed it to, she showed no reaction whatsoever. "I had to saw off the end of DomDaniel's thumb to get this thing. And now it's _all mine_. The Two-Faced Ring!"

Much to his surprise, the girl sighed. "The ring..." She shook her head sadly. "Taking it was a very stupid thing to do indeed."

"_Don't_ call me stupid!" Merrin snarled. He lunged at the girl in hopes of attaining freedom.

Suddenly she was behind him. Merrin's momentum carried him forward and he started to fall. "Ah- "

The girl grabbed his arm and, in a flash, twisted it behind his back, pushing his elbow up until he was whimpering in pain. It was definitely not one of Merrin's best days.

He noticed that the multitude of people passing by didn't even glance his way. He also noticed the scribes glancing frequently at him and snickering to themselves.

Just as Merrin thought that his shoulder would surely pop out of his socket and his arm would fall apart, she released her grip and let his arm fall back to his side. Merrin immediately grabbed his shoulder and groaned. Now his throat _and_ his shoulder hurt.

"Good," said the girl who was, in Merrin's opinion, becoming scarier than even DomDaniel. "There won't be any more of that, _will there?" _

Merrin shook his head quickly, staring at the ground.

"Good," she repeated. "Now, keep talking."

Slowly and a bit awkwardly, Merrin told the girl his story, starting with his apprenticeship to DomDaniel. It felt unusually good to have someone _want_ to talk to him. Even if that someone had nearly ripped off his arm.

The girl snorted. "He sounds more like a playground bully than a feared Necromancer."

Merrin smiled at this. It was the first time he had gotten sympathy from anyone.

When he got to the part about the Two-Faced Ring, she suddenly became serious. Up until then, she had been good company, making fun of all of the people who had ever been mean to him (and more annoyingly,_ him_). But now, she slowed her pace so she could get a better look at him. This was a lot more interesting than she had expected.

"Smart of you to notice the lack of air, but I could question the wisdom of the fact that you continued on anyway. Especially after hearing what happened next." Merrin looked at the ground, embarrassed. _He_ remembered what happened next very clearly.

"You blacked out and found yourself lying on the floor outside the Endless Cabinet." Merrin didn't feel like he needed to hear it again. "That probably means that the **Things** brought you there."

Merrin shuddered at the thought of the **Things** touching him with their slimy, peeling hands. He imagined them, carrying him all the way back through the cabinet, bringing his stuff, poking and prodding and _breathing_ on him-

"Don't think about it!" the girl cut in, noticing that Merrin had gone alarmingly pale.

"Right," he said hoarsely, although he couldn't help but remember how all of the Things had been leaning over, staring at him for... he had no idea how long.

"It's a good thing you couldn't see them... You couldn't, right?" It sounded to Merrin like an important question, though he couldn't understand why.

"No... My eyes..." Merrin blinked. "Why, is it important?"

The girl looked at him with eyes full of pity. "Yes... If you had seen them clearly, you would be completely insane right now. Maybe worse."

"Stupid," he muttered to himself. Of course it was all his fault. But it would all pay off soon.

"Now, about the ring. We need to get it off as soon as possible."

"It'll only come off the Other Way."

"I know."

Merrin was starting to regain his color, but he lost it again at those words. "N- no way!"

"The day that ring comes off your thumb- and your thumb comes off with it- is coming sooner than you think." the girl muttered under her breath.

"Wh- what?"

"Nothing."


	3. Chapter 3

**_Sorry about any spoilers from _Darke**. Try to read the book first if you can.

* * *

"It's a bit worse than you expected," the girl said, her eyes downcast. "It's too bad. He's just a little kid."

Septimus knew he was about the same age as Merrin, but he let it slide. "Yeah, but I'm starting to get worried. That ring can turn anyone **Darke**."

"I know. It's only a matter of time before he does, too."

"He's already pretty **Darke**." Septimus reminded her.

"You think he could be any danger in this state?" she scoffed.

"Probably not."

She stood up. "You should ask Marcellus about destroying the ring. I'd rather not cut off the poor kid's thumb, but if it has to be done..." _Septimus Heap _was_ pretty ruthless_, she thought.

* * *

Septimus shivered, waiting in the Ice Tunnels for Marcellus Pye to open the door.

"Septimus?" Marcellus said, relieved. "Come in quickly. Are any of Etheldredda's spies following you?"

"No, Marcellus, that was five hundred years ago," Septimus said tiredly. Sometimes Marcellus's old memories became irritating.

"Quite right, Apprentice," Marcellus said briskly. "Now, come in and we'll discuss whatever it is that you came here to discuss."

Septimus sat down heavily in one of the chairs. "I'm getting a bit worried about the Two-Faced Ring."

"Ah, yes, but that is something to worry about, is it not?" Marcellus replied.

Septimus took a deep breath. "Is there any way to get rid of the ring without... you know..." He glanced at this own thumb apprehensively.

"I'm afraid not," Marcellus sighed. "Merrin chose to put it on, and now he will have to pay the price."

"Why is that obnoxious little tick so important?" Septimus demanded. "He can't even do anything right!"

"I'm afraid it's not him that's important, but the Ring. We will have to get rid of it at all costs." Marcellus said thoughtfully. "And it will probably be I who does it."

Septimus swallowed.


	4. Chapter 4

Septimus hastily changed the subject. "So, anyway, what do we have to do to destroy the ring?"

Marcellus seemed relieved at the change in topic. "I... don't know. But whatever it is, it's not going to be easy," he warned. "I'll have to do further research to come up with a strategy."

Septimus thought of Merrin, the irritating boy who held a grudge against him. And, yes, couldn't do anything right except ruin everyone's day. He definitely didn't seem like the same person who now wore the Two-Faced Ring, the ultimate **Darke** object, and had created a **Darke Domaine** in the Castle.

Marcellus had similar thoughts. Although he had never met Merrin before (or, rather, didn't _remember_ meeting him), he had gathered that Merrin was not the sort to be a formidable enemy.

"Why don't you go back to the Wizard Tower and ask Marcia for help?" Marcellus suggested.

Septimus knew that Marcellus must have really been desperate to tell him to ask Marcia.

* * *

"Have you asked Marcellus?"

Septimus was starting to get worried. If _Marcia_ was asking for Marcellus's help, there must be something really bad going on.

Marcia was, in fact, very worried. She was pacing across the room, moving random objects and glancing around hurriedly. "Your **Darke** week is coming up, Septimus, and I don't want you in any more danger. Heaven knows you've had enough already."

"But- "

"I don't want to hear it, Septimus. I'll handle this myself. A **Darke Domaine** is not something you want to be playing around with."

"Marcia- "

"_No!_"

Septimus decided to ask Beetle for help later.

"And don't even _think_ about asking Beetle for help later!"

* * *

It was getting late. The girl suggested that they get some dinner and go home for the night.

Merrin had been pleasantly surprised by how quickly she had warmed up to him. She seemed more like a friend than someone that had come to hunt him down.

They went to Wizard Sandwiches to get a bite to eat before bed. The girl ordered a Chocolate Delight, and Merrin chose something called "Chemistry". He gave up after losing all of his utensils to the giant cube and, to the girl's amusement, tried to take a bite out of it and ended up with a huge blob of assorted fillings smeared across his face, in his hair, and all over his clothes.

"Need a napkin?" the girl asked between bites, laughing.

Merrin nodded silently; his mouth was glued shut.

After the girl finished her sandwich (Merrin didn't dare touch his, which was starting to fizz alarmingly) she helped pry him off his chair so that he could wash off.

After about half an hour of vigorous scrubbing, Merrin was somewhat presentable, but his clothes were ruined and people were starting to stare.

"So, where are you staying?" the girl asked.

"Mmf mmmffmf," Merrin said, his mouth not completely unstuck.

"The castle? Impressive," she said.

"Mmmmfff."

"Oh... I see. Well, you're welcome to stay at my house whenever you want." She thought it was terribly sad to have to hide in an attic instead of hiding in a comfortable home.

"Mmfff?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah. It's a cozy place."

They walked in silence for a short while. They passed Barney Pot on his way to the dragon food store. "Jasmine," he said, nodding.

"Hi, Mr. Pot."

"Mmmf mmf mffm mmmfff?"

"Yeah," the girl said. "My name's Jasmine. Jasmine Meredith."


	5. Chapter 5

"Jasmine _Meredith_?" Merrin yelled, so surprised that his mouth came unstuck. "You're- you're- "

"Your cousin." Jasmine finished.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Merrin demanded.

"You didn't ask," she said simply.

"What..." Merrin shook his head, bewildered. It was the most unbelievable thing he'd heard all day, and Jasmine had told him that DomDaniel had rescued a stray cat and given it milk.

Merrin looked at her, trying to find any resemblance to himself. "Don't even bother," she said, noticing his expression. "Our mothers may have been sisters, but they looked absolutely nothing alike."

She was right; the only visible trait they shared was dark hair. Other than that, it was impossible to tell that they were related.

"Well, here we are," Jasmine said, gesturing to a large, well-kept house Merrin had never noticed before. Jasmine caught his look and explained. "I have a constant enchantment running on this place. Nobody will be able to see it unless I let them. It drains most of my magic, but I still have enough to do small spells."

Merrin was impressed. Keeping a full-scale enchantment going on constantly was no picnic.

He was even more surprised by the inside of the house. He had expected an empty house, but there were four other boys playing inside. The oldest was about eight, and the youngest was four. All four of them looked like they were Jasmine's brothers.

"Boys!" she called. They looked up immediately.

"Who's _he_?" the oldest one said.

"Boys, this is Merrin, my- _our_ cousin. Merrin, this is Nico, Alex, Matt, and Christopher." She grinned. "All right, I'll make some dinner. You'll have some, Merrin, right? I daresay you're still hungry."

Merrin nodded sheepishly, remembering "Chemistry".

Jasmine walked into the kitchen, leaving Merrin and his cousins at the dinner table.

* * *

Merrin was instantly part of the family.

Although Jasmine was strict, Matt and Alex (the twins) told him, she allowed them to play games at the table, because, as she put it, "eating is boring."

Nico took out a pack of cards. Even when Merrin admitted that he didn't know how to play cards, they patiently explained the rules to him and let him play in all of the games.

Christopher, the four year old, was a fierce player. When he lost, he tended to throw his cards in the nearest player's face. After nearly getting a card shoved up his nose, Merrin learned to sit at the _other_ end of the table.

Merrin was enjoying the feeling of being comfortable for the first time.

"Nico, don't play poker!" Jasmine called suddenly from the kitchen. "The poor kid doesn't have any money to lose!"

A chorus of "Awww"s met this statement. Merrin's ears turned red as he silently thanked Jasmine for her well-timed intervention.

They played Go Fish for a while. "So, what's for dinner?" Merrin asked casually.

"Carrot soup," Alex said happily. "It's our favorite!"

Merrin pulled a face. "I_ hate_ vegetables."

They laughed as if it were a joke. "Not for long!" is all they could say before Christopher realized that he had lost the game and Merrin realized that he had somehow ended up next to Christopher again.

* * *

"Eat up!" Jasmine announced with a flourish, setting a bowl of steaming soup in front of Merrin. He spat out a piece of a card and looked eagerly at the soup.

Jasmine looked mildly concerned. "Christopher?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, wait," Jasmine said, suddenly remembering something. "You'll need this." She set a large jug of water in front of Merrin.

"For all of us?" he asked tentatively.

"Nope! Just for you," Jasmine replied with a smile.

A bit nervous now, Merrin tasted a small spoonful of Jasmine's soup.

"Ahh... _Ahhhhhh_!" Merrin started to gasp and cough. Eyes watering, he grabbed the jug and gulped down half of the water. "What... What was _in_ that?" he gasped.

"That was _hilarious_!" the twins laughed, even as they shoved overflowing spoonfuls into their mouths. "I thought your hair was going to catch fire!"

"Nico, get the ice cream," Jasmine said, noting the extreme color of Merrin's face. "And make it a really big one, please."

In six seconds flat, an enormous bowl of ice cream was sitting in front of Merrin. He snatched up the spoon and stuck it in his mouth. "Thanksh."

"Don't go too fast," Nico warned. "You'll get brain freeze."

That was the last thing he needed right now, Merrin thought. "Why'd you do that?" he demanded, glaring at Jasmine.

"Sorry," Jasmine said, abashed. "We're all used to really spicy food. Don't worry, it wasn't a prank or anything." When the look on Merrin's face didn't change, she added, "They're all like that. You can try them if you want."

He shook his head vigorously and crammed another mound of ice cream into his mouth.

"Who wants to finish Merrin's soup?" Jasmine called, assuming, as usual, that Merrin didn't want to finish it himself.

"I do!" Christopher answered, assuming the same thing. To Merrin's amazement, he snatched up the bowl and downed the entire thing in less than a minute.

"Told you," Jasmine said. "But don't worry. I won't put _any_ Habanera peppers in yours tomorrow."

* * *

Half an hour later, Merrin was sprawled on _his bed_ in _his bedroom_, exhausted.

Even after the soup incident, he was in a good mood. For the first time, Merrin had a home. A real home, where people actually cared about him. (At least, he _thought_ they did. Merrin hadn't really trusted anyone in a long time.)

When Jasmine and her brothers had showed him his room, it didn't feel like it had been collecting dust for years. It was, in fact, the best place he had ever lived in. Especially compared to the Castle and the room with the chocolate door. Despite a slight headache, he was full and comfortable. For the first time, he fell asleep with a smile on his face.


End file.
